Oops! Aetna discloses political donations

[NeoConsSuck]

Source: CNN Money

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Insurance giant Aetna inadvertently disclosed more than $7 million in donations to conservative political groups in a regulatory filing made earlier this year, according to a Washington-based advocacy group.

Documents obtained and distributed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington show that Aetna made a $3 million donation to the American Action Network and a $4.05 million donation to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2011.

Advocates of campaign finance reform say the disclosures, first reported by trade publication SNL Financial, are extremely unusual, and represent the first known major donations from a publicly traded company to political organizations that are not required to reveal the source of their funding.

American Action Network is organized as a 501(c)(4) group, and has deep roots in conservative circles. Former Sen. Norm Coleman, a Republican from Minnesota, is on the board of directors, as is former Rep. Vin Weber, a member of Mitt Romney's economic team.



Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/14/news/economy/aetna-political-contributions/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

[freshwest]

1. That they stole from their subscribers, huh.

[Lint Head]

2. Ever wonder why insurance costs are so high? Evere wonder why we don't have Universal Health Care?

[NewJeffCT]

3. If Aetna donated $7 million

You also have to consider United Health, Blue Cross/Wellpoint, Cigna and others as well. How much for all of them in total?

[TrollBuster9090]

6. AHIP donated $100 million to the Chamber of Commerce to block HC reform.

http://gocl.me/LXsyBo

[steve2470]

4. No wonder my premiums are so high

Assholes.

[TrollBuster9090]

5. AETNA: 22% overhead. MEDICARE: 1.3% overhead. Now we know why.

It's really YOU who are paying to lobby Congress to block attempts to lower the cost of healthcare.
You're BAD!

BAD!
BAD!
BAD!

Go and spank yourselves! But if you hurt yourself don't expect Aetna to pay for your treatment. They're too busy paying for Ben Nelson's swimming pool.

[Laelth]

7. Excellent graphic. Thanks for posting. n/t

-Laelth

[datadiva]

8. Great Graphic

Thanks for posting this.

[russspeakeasy]

9. What an excellent graphic. Why didn't I see this during the

health care debate ? Thanks for posting.

[Lasher]

11. Maybe it was lost in some other dimension

Like the single payer CBO study that Pelosi promised Kucinich.

[russspeakeasy]

14. Nailed it !!

[Lasher]

15. Actually, the CBO did take a look at this - two decades ago.

December, 1991 Congressional Budget Office

“If the nation adopted…[a] single-payer system that paid providers at Medicare’s rates, the population that is currently uninsured could be covered without dramatically increasing national spending on health. In fact, all US residents might be covered by health insurance for roughly the current level of spending or even somewhat less, because of savings in administrative costs and lower payment rates for services used by the privately insured. The prospects for con-trolling health care expenditure in future years would also be improved.” (“Universal Health Insurance Coverage Using Medicare’s Payment Rates”)

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single-payer-system-cost

[russspeakeasy]

16. Looked at 20 years ago and then buried ?

I would have thought members of the house and senate had interns that could have found that in under an hour.
Maybe I just missed it during the health care hearings, but I don't think so.

[Lasher]

18. That's exactly the way it went down.

Medicare-for-all doesn't create any billionaire overlords, you see. And those right wing stink tanks aren't gonna just fund themselves.

[russspeakeasy]

19. Wow and thanks...

[steve2470]

12. great graphic, thanks for posting that ! nt

[Supersedeas]

20. numbers that you'll never see on Squawk Box and other Biz Chick Entertainment for the Investor Class

[joeglow3]

23. What is included as "overhead"

I am curious about this because it is a GREAT graphic I would like to send out to my family. However, I don't want to get burned.

[LaydeeBug]

24. I am in a battle over this very graphic as we speak. nt

[Iliyah]

10. It high because they have to give

the politicians more money. The political system is broken and the only people being destroyed are the "little people".

[Overseas]

13. K&R

[bobthedrummer]

17. K&R n/t

[Quantess]

21. Thank you for posting it.

[Sedona]

22. NOT ONLY THAT.....

I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH THEIR CLAIMS DEPARTMENT,....IN THE PHILIPPINES !